The photo shows a keen head with large ears. The note next to it says Votive heads of worshipper, perhaps 2000 BC (so that would be after Moses and before David). Its a cunning, pagan, idea to pay for a model of you as a model worshipper to attend to your deity without having to be there.
I wondered if this was something we should reintroduce.
I’ve come with my friend Donna to the Israel Museum. Here be archaeological proofs of biblical people, signs to David, and to Hezekiah. Its very exciting. These were real people with hopes and fers and faith and struggles.
Theres also an amazing model of Jerusalem in 66ad, remind me to show you sometime.
The really exciting things here are the scrolls from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Isaiah (copy of) is wrapped around the central pillar and its so clear that if i could read modern hebrew i could have a good go at this. Previously our oldest Old Tesament came from 930ad and is called The Aleppo Codex (and its here, and no you’re not allowed to take photos of this bit).
This Isaiah scroll comes from 100BC. And its the same. So it proves that a thousand years of careful copying has happened and that the scriptures can be thoroughly trusted. Keep reading them.
Meanwhile there is a throw away line about how they also found other writings such as the book of Judith. This is a book not found in your protestant bibles but has been part of the Roman Catholic bibles for ever. It is completely fictious. It tells the story of a pretty widow who is almost seduced by a boorish enemy bent on destroying the Jewish people, when he falls asleep from too much wine, she hacks his head off (it took two attempts).
I wrote my MA dissertation on this. The earliest reference we have to it is from a Christian writer called Clement in 96AD. But here I am in the Shrine of the Book and they tell me that there is an earlier copy so that at least by 100BC it was thoought worthy of keeping. I will have to do some more research on this.
With my faith provoked and excited, Donna and I walk to the shoukh to by a drink to await Josh (more about him tomorrow). After 4 shots of Jim Beam (my mistake for saying ‘Ill have what hes having’, I wend my way back to Christchurch, past the calm Police horses, past the students who may be protesting something Im not sure but they are waving flags loudly, past the 40 people vigorously peddling on exercise bikes, and there I find that my new American friends are still here. And then after ample uninhibited hugs (thanks to Jim Beam), I retire early.
I suppose the point of today could have been something about keeping your ears open, and the joy of being actually present as opposed to the ancient votive head.